Thursday 25 August 2011

HMS Sefton Tories: Another one jumps overboard!

"When will Sefton Conservatives stop hemorrhaging councillors?" asks colleague Tony Robertson. This time well respected Harrington Ward (Formby) Cllr. Gill Cuthbertson has resigned the Tory Whip.

She follows a long line of Conservatives who have either left of their own volition or been suspended/deselected. It all started with Wendy Jones of Crosby who was deselected a few years ago and Les Byrom who jumped ship to Labour. Now there are 4 Independent Tories (3 of them suspended from the Tory Group), another who went to UKIP (also Harrington Ward) and Anne Ibbs who was deselected in Ravenmeols ward.

What an unhappy ship HMS Sefton Tories must be!

The news comes from colleague Cllr Tony Robertson

Martin Lewis speaking about the changes to the student tution fee system.

There is a vast amount of confusion surrounding the changes to student tuition fees from 2012. There will have been a large number of Sefton students who collected their AS Level results last Thursday and who are still confused about options that face them over the coming 12 months. There are numerous questions that parents and students have not, in my opinion, been fully and fairly informed about or had answered.

I have seen some detailed explanations that actually complicate the system further. However, Martin Lewis, made famous for his consumer campaigns on morning television, outlines the system in the most simplistic way I have seen - from a completely non-political view point. This is really good stuff, explaining exactly who pays what and when - it's time people started to understand the truth about the structure of the system.

Politics of the system aside - because, in truth, that it is what's clouding this very important issue for those 16/17 year old individuals and their families - I would recommend anyone in Sefton thinking about university in the future to view this clip.


Martin Lewis, journalist and consumer campaigner who created MoneySavingExpert.com, the UK's biggest money website, speaks about the changes to the student tution fee system.



In the unlikely event of the clip not working please use the link above.

Higher Education Access

Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes has led a review of access to higher education. He spent six months traveling around the country to speak with thousands of young people about the changes to university financing and all other concerns they have about access to higher education.

Last week he published his final report. It contains over 30 recommendations directed towards schools and colleges, universities, government and regulators on what they can do to encourage participation in higher education. You can download a copy of the report from the Cabinet Office website here: Hughes Report.

With thanks to ALDC.